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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1..

H. P. HAMBRUOH.

KEY BOARD PLAYER FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

No. 371,450. Patented Oct. 11,1887.

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(N0 Mbdel.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

H. F. HAMBRUOH. KEY BOARD PLAYER FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

No. 371,450. Patented Oct. 11,1887.

W'itn es, Inventor.

v Rivas.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

-HEINRIGH FRIEDRICH HAMBRUOH, OF HAMBURG, GERMANY.

KEY-BOARD PLAYER FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 371,450, dated October 11, 1887.

Application filed July 22, 1867. Serial No. 244,987. No model.) Patented in Germany March 26,1886, No. 38,342, and in France March 30, 1886, No. 175,115.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HEINRICH FRIEDRICH HAMBRUOH, a subject of the German Emperor, and a resident of Hamburg, in the German Empire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanism for Play ing Pianos, Organs, and Similar Musical Instruments, (for which I have secured Letters Patent in Germany No. 38,812, dated March 26, 1886, and in France by Letters Patent No. 175,115, dated March 30, 1886,) of which the following is a specification. 1

The invention relates to improvements in mechanism for playing pianos, organs, and. similar musical instruments; and the objects of my improvements are to make use in such mechanism of changeable sheets ofcard-board, metal, or other suitable material provided with perforations in accordance with the tunes to be played, and to obtain by means of the said mechanical means only a performance of the tunes very like to the production of a good artist. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figures 1 and 2 are end views of the mech anism, in different positions of the working parts, partly shown in section. Fig. 3 is a front view thereof. Fig. 4: shows a modification.

Similar letters refer to si milar parts throughout the several views.

The drum a, rotated by means of a worm or shaft, 1), and a worm-wheel, carries a sheet, 0, of card-board, metal, or other suitable material, which is provided with perforations according to the tune to be played. By the r0- tation of the drum a the sheet 0 is moved forward steadily. A drum, h, parallel to drum (1, is rotated pretty rapidly by bevel gears, also operated by the crank-shaft 1).

Between drum h and drum a, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the vertical heaters f, which serve to strike the keys when pressed downward by springs g,

are arranged. The heaters striking the black keys are provided with suitably-shaped arms f. Thebeaters f are pressed againstthe'drum h as long as the pins 6, moved in their guide 01 and touching on one side the tune-sheet 0, do not meet the holes in sheet 0. Thus the drum rotates in cavities of the levers f, shaped in such a manner as to fit the circumference of drum h. The shape of the cavity in beaterf and the direction of rotation of the drum It will therefore cause thelifting of the heaters against the action of the spring 9, Fig. 1.

As soon as a pin 6 meets a hole in sheet 0 the respective beater f is able to move from the drum toward the guide d, and to strike the key by the action of its spring 9 and remains resting thereupon until the pin 6 is moved backward by the body of the tune-sheet 0. Then the curved part of the beaterf and the rotation of the drum 71, will work again andlift the beater-f. The holding out (the periods of vibration) of a single tune can be easily determined by the length of the holes in sheet a.

The arrangement shown in Fig. 4 isamodi fication oftheabove=described one. The pressing down of the beater f is accomplished by the drum h rotating in a direction opposite to that which will be required in the former arrangement as soon as the arm 6 of the bent lever 6 strikes a hole of the sheet a, and will enter it by action of spring 0. The arm eof the lever will then engage the beater f with the drum h, which will bring down rapidly the key. The lifting of the beaterf is done by the action of the key itself as soon as the solid part of the tune sheet disengages theleverc e from the beater, which will move freely, as it is no longer pressed against the drum h.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is-- In mechanism for mechanically playing keyed musical instruments, the combination of the tune-sheet 0, moved by drum (1, the lever 6, and the beaters f, provided with cavities to engage with a drum, h, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in presence of two witnesses, this 30th day of April, 1887.

HEINRICH FRIEDRICH HAMBRUCH. 

